Due to the wide application of silver-containing dressings and silver-coated medical devices in clinical treatment; the extensive use of antibacterial agents and heavy metal agents in feed factories, Escherichia coli has formed the tolerance to silver ions. To systematically understand the known silver ion resistance mechanisms of E. coli, this article reviews the complex regulatory network and various physiological mechanisms of silver ion tolerance in E. coli, including the regulation of outer membrane porins, energy metabolism modulation, the role of efflux systems, motility regulation, and silver ion reduction. E. coli reduces the influx of silver ions by missing or mutating outer membrane porins such as OmpR, OmpC, and OmpF. It adapts to high concentrations of silver ions by altering the expression of ArcA/B and enhances the efflux capacity of silver ions under high-concentration silver stress via the endogenous Cus system and exogenous Sil system. Furthermore, the motility of bacteria is related to silver tolerance. E. coli has the ability to reduce silver ions, thereby alleviating the oxidative stress induced by silver ions. These findings provide a new perspective for understanding the formation and spread of bacterial tolerance and provide directions for the development of next-generation silver-based antimicrobials and therapies.
Escherichia coli/genetics* ; Silver/pharmacology* ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology* ; Porins/metabolism*

Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism ; Escherichia coli Proteins ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism ; Glutamic Acid ; genetics ; metabolism ; Histidine ; genetics ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Ion Channel Gating ; genetics ; Lipid Bilayers ; metabolism ; Mutant Proteins ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism ; Mutation ; Porins ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo construct a fused expression vector of the outer membrane protein gene PorB of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, express the fusion protein in the prokaryotic system, and obtain a gene recombination protein, for the purpose of preparing the ground for further research on the pathopoiesis and immune protective response of PorB.

METHODSA pair of primers were designed according to the known sequence of the PorB gene, and the PorB gene was amplified by PCR from the genome of Neisseria gonorrhoeae 29403 and cloned into the prokaryotic expression plasmid pGEX-4T-1 to generate pGEX-4T-PorB recombinants. The recombinant plasmid pGEX4T-PorB was transferred into competent cells E. coli BL21. After confirmed by restriction endonuclease digestion, PCR and DNA sequencing analysis, the recombinant protein was induced to express by isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactoside (IPTG), and examined by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting.

RESULTSRestriction endonuclease digestion, PCR amplification and DNA sequencing analysis showed that the PorB gene of 1 047 bp was amplified from Neisseria gonorrhoeae DNA, and the recombinant plasmid pGEX-4T-PorB was successfully constructed and highly expressed in E. coli.

CONCLUSIONThe prokaryotic expression vector of pGEX-4T-PorB was successfully constructed and efficiently expressed in the prokaryotic system, which has provided a basis for further study on the biological activity of the PorB protein, as well as animal immune experiment and detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and its application as a mucosal immune vaccine.

Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cloning, Molecular ; Escherichia coli ; metabolism ; Gene Expression ; Genetic Vectors ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Neisseria gonorrhoeae ; genetics ; metabolism ; Plasmids ; Porins ; genetics ; metabolism

Bacterial Proteins ; pharmacology ; Blotting, Western ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; methods ; Interleukin-8 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Internal Fixators ; Lung ; cytology ; drug effects ; Lung Diseases ; microbiology ; Pharmaceutical Solutions ; pharmacology ; Porins ; pharmacology ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Solutions ; chemistry

In order to amplify pilA gene and ompC gene of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) strain, two pairs of primers were designed according to the GenBank sequences, and a 549 bp pilA gene and a 1104 bp ompC gene were obtained by PCR separately. Sequence analysis indicated that the homology of the nucleotide sequence of AEPC strain to those other reference strains was 98.18% of the pilA gene and 97.28% of the ompC gene. Two expression plasmids pETpilA and pETompC were constructed by inserting pilA gene and ompC gene into the prokaryotic expression vector pET-28a. The two plasmids were transformated into E. coli BL21 separately and two recombinant strains BL21 (pETpilA) and BL21 (pETompC) were obtained. The type 1 fimbraie and the out membrane protein were highly expressed when the recombinant strain BL21 (pETpilA) and BL21 (pETompC) were induced by IPTG Two specific proteins were detected by SDS-PAGE and immunogenicity of the expressed protein was confirmed by Western blotting and ELISA. The expressed fimbraie and OmpC were transformed into vaccine. The protective immune response was proved after the mice were immunized with the two vaccines. The results showed that the recombinant strain BL21 (pETpilA) and BL21 (pETompC) could be as candidate vaccine to provide protective immune response against AEPC infection.
Animals ; Cloning, Molecular ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; immunology ; metabolism ; Escherichia coli Proteins ; genetics ; immunology ; metabolism ; Escherichia coli Vaccines ; immunology ; Fimbriae Proteins ; genetics ; immunology ; metabolism ; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial ; Genes, Bacterial ; Mice ; Porins ; genetics ; immunology ; metabolism ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; genetics ; immunology ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo construct the fusion expression vector of Legionella pneumophila mompS and flaA genes linked with a flexible chain for expression in E.coli.

METHODSThe flaA gene, an flagellum subunit gene of Legionella pneumophila, and mompS gene that encodes an major outer membrane protein of Legionella pneumophila, were amplified from the DNA of Legionella pneumophila by PCR and cloned into the prokaryotic expression vector pET32a (+) containing thioredoxin gene Trx. Following analysis of the recombinant plasmid (pET-LpSLF) with restriction endonuclease digestion, PCR and DNA sequencing, the expression of pET-LpSLF was induced with IPTG and the expressed fusion protein Trx-MOMPS-FlaA was examined with SDS-PAGE and Western blotting.

RESULTSThe results of restriction endonuclease digestion, PCR and DNA sequencing analysis showed that the flaA gene (1 440 bp) and the mompS gene (906 bp) were successfully amplified from Legionella pneumophila DNA, and the recombinant plasmid pET-LpSLF was constructed and expressed in E.coli as demonstrated by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting.

CONCLUSIONThe fusion expression vector of mompS and flaA genes linked with a flexible chain has been successfully constructed and allows efficient expression of mompS-linker-flaA gene in E.coli, which enables further study of the immunogenicity and immunoprotection of Legionella pneumophila.

Amino Acid Sequence ; Bacterial Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Base Sequence ; Cloning, Molecular ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; metabolism ; Flagellin ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; Legionella pneumophila ; genetics ; metabolism ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Porins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Prokaryotic Cells ; metabolism ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics

In this study, the ompS gene, a major outer membrane protein gene of Legionella pneumophila, was obtained from the DNA of Legionella pneumophila by PCR. The gene was cloned into prokaryotic expressional plasmid pUC18 to construct recombinant plasmid. The recombinant plasmid was transformed into E. coli strain BL21. The identification was made by means of restriction enzyme analysis, polymerase chain reaction, DNA sequencing analysis, SDS--polyacrylamine gel electrophoresis analysis and Western blot. The results showed that the ompS gene of 914 bp was amplified from Legionella pneumophila DNA, the recombinant plasmid pLPompS was constructed and its expression in prokaryotic cell was detected successfully.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Bacterial Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Base Sequence ; Cloning, Molecular ; Humans ; Legionella pneumophila ; genetics ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Porins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Prokaryotic Cells ; metabolism

In order to provide a rational research basis for clinical detection and genetic engineering vaccine, plasmid pET-28a (+) encoding both Porin gene PIA and PIB of Neisseria gonorrhoeae was constructed and a fusion protein in E. coli DE3 expressed. The fragments of PIA and PIB gene of Neisseria gonorrhoeae were amplified and cloned into prokaryotic expression plasmid pET-28a (+) with double restriction endonuclease cut to construct recombinant pET-PIB-PIA. The recombinant was verified with restriction endonuclease and sequenced and transformed into E. coli DE3 to express the fusion protein PIB-PIA after induced with IPTG. The results showed PIA-PIB fusion DNA fragment was proved correct through sequencing. A 67 kD (1 kD= 0.992 1 ku) fusion protein had been detected by SDS-PAGE. It was concluded that the fusion protein was successively expressed.
Cloning, Molecular ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Neisseria gonorrhoeae ; genetics ; Plasmids ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Porins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Prokaryotic Cells ; metabolism ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Transfection ; Vaccines, Synthetic

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the role of outer membrane protein (Omp) F-deficiency and active efflux in the accumulation of hydrophilic fluoroquinolones ciprofloxacin (CPLX) and lomefloxacin (LMLX) in resistant E. coli strains.

METHODSFluoroquinolone accumulation in bacteria and the effect of active efflux were measured by a fluorescence method. The outer membrane proteins of the bacteria were analysed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). E. coli strains in this study included control strains JF701 and JF703 that are OmpC- or OmpF-deficient mutants of E. coli K-12, respectively, and the fluoroquinolone susceptible strain the fluoroquinolone susceptible strain of Escherichia coli (Ecs) and its in vitroselected resistant strains R2 and R256, and the clinical resistant isolates R5 and R6.

RESULTSThe steady-state accumulation concentration of each drug in Ecs appeared to be the same as in JF701, while in the OmpF-deficient strain JF703, it was 1/5 CPLX or 1/2 LMLX lower than that in JF701, but JF703 was still susceptible to fluoroquinolones. On the other hand, compared with susceptible strains, a 2- to 10-fold decrease in the accumulation of each drug was found in the resistant strains except R2, in which the accumulation was slightly higher than in JF703. After the addition of 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP), accumulation of each drug increased, especially in resistant strains, indicating that the function of the active efflux (pump) system in these bacteria had been enhanced dramatically. Furthermore, both OmpF and OmpC in Ecs, OmpF-deficiency in R2 and R256 and OmpC-deficiency in R5 and R6 were observed.

CONCLUSIONThe decreased accumulation of hydrophilic fluoroquinolones in E. coli involved OmpF-deficiency and active efflux (pump), and the latter may be an important factor.

2,4-Dinitrophenol ; pharmacology ; Anti-Infective Agents ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Ciprofloxacin ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Escherichia coli ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Fluoroquinolones ; Porins ; physiology ; Quinolones ; metabolism ; pharmacology